V1 Interactive, the developer of the hybrid shooter/RTS game Disintegration, has announced that it is shutting down after five years. The studio’s approximately 30 employees will have some time to search for new jobs before V1 shuts off the lights for good, however.
“We are sad to inform you that V1 Interactive is officially closing,” the studio posted to its official Twitter account today. “We want to thank all the talented people at V1, both past and present, who helped make the last five years wonderful. And a heartfelt thanks to the amazing community that supported us.”
V1 Interactive president Marcus Lehto, who directed Disintegration, reassured fans and employees alike that the studio had not hidden the state of affairs from the people who worked there. “At V1, our priority has been to the wellbeing of our employees,” he posted to Twitter after the announcement went live. “We’ve been transparent with them about the state of things for months and are making this decision now so they still have ample time to search for new jobs while being supported by our studio.”
Disintegration launched in June 2020, shortly after pandemic lockdowns had swept across the industry. While its scrappy, sci-fi premise was appealing, the game itself garnered middling review scores. Its ambitious blend of real-time tactics and action shooting never quite jelled, even while its story, characters, and world were charming and compelling.
At V1, our priority has been to the wellbeing of our employees.
We’ve been transparent with them about the state of things for months and are making this decision now so they still have ample time to search for new jobs while being supported by our studio. https://t.co/XJbWDxazto
— Marcus Lehto (@game_fabricator) March 8, 2021
The multiplayer game’s servers shut down in November after Disintegration struggled to build a big enough player base to support matchmaking. At the time, V1 said that it believed “the video game industry needs constant innovation, and we will continue to take risks, follow creative visions, and support new ideas.”
2020 proved a difficult and damaging year for a variety of games and development studios. We’re hoping to see more from V1’s team soon, wherever they end up making games.